Philippians 1:30
“Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul reminds them that their struggle is the same one they saw him endure and still hear he faces.
What Does Philippians 1:30 Mean?
Paul closes the chapter by joining his experience to theirs. The conflict the Philippians now face is the same one they had seen him endure when he was among them, and the same they hear he is enduring still in prison.
There is comfort in this shared struggle. The Philippians are not suffering alone or following a path their teacher never walked; Paul has gone and is going ahead of them in the very same fight. The word conflict pictures a contest or struggle, like an athlete straining in the arena. Paul links arms with them across the miles, assuring them that their hardship is not strange but part of the common road of those who follow Christ. They struggle together, in fellowship even in pain.
In the Original Language
agon (ἀγών), 'conflict' -- a contest or struggle, the strenuous effort of an athlete in the arena.